Deep Freeze
by Lucreace
Summary: During a regulation scanning mission, one of the crew becomes stranded with a fluffy alien creature. I suck at descriptions! This one focuses on Sulu/Chekov but the whole crew are there. Hope you enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

The new alien was one of the cutest things Chekov had seen in his short life. It was the same size as a cocker spaniel with a similar muzzle but it had two fuzzy tentacles sticking out of its forehead. It yipped and barked as it ran around in circles at his feet, "What is it?" he asked. The creature wouldn't stand still long enough to allow him to scan it.

"It is indigenous to this world Mr. Chekov. It has some minor brain function but is far from sentient." Mr Spock said looking at his own scanner.

"I like it," Chekov said as it dashed around his legs.

"It is reminiscent of an Earth dog," Spock said.

"Come on Chekov, we still have a host of other new species to catalogue before we can go home," this time it was Sulu who spoke, "The sooner we get done, the sooner I can beat you at hover-board again."

Chekov looked up at his friend and rolled his eyes, "You wish." The grin from Sulu said everything. Chekov strode over, "What is there still to do?" he asked looking at his scanner. The creature followed him and looked up at them both expectantly.

"There are the plants in that thicket over there and a lot of these small rocks need doing too," Sulu said. Ceti Alpha VI, and the entire Ceti Alpha system, was a fairly recent discovery. It was yet to undergo a full inventory where the whole planet underwent scanning. The task was set to last ten days – a lot of the crew would also get to spend time relaxing in the cool atmosphere so it was the perfect time to relax.

"You take the rocks; me and Fido here will take a walk into that thicket." Chekov said.

"How did I know you'd say that?" Sulu said. Chekov shrugged and began walking off before Sulu could change his mind. He strode by a group of crew members who were enjoying the warmth of the midday sun. Ceti Alpha VI was warm enough during the day but as the sun fell, its temperature dropped to well below freezing. The interest in the planet was finding out how the flora and fauna survived such rapid changes. It could be the adaptability they had could be put to use. Chekov reached the lush green and began running his scanner over the largest leaf he could find. As he moved along, he found himself wishing he was among those who were laughing on the grass. His turn on leave was due in a couple of days; still, it was hard to work when others were relaxing so close by. Fido yapped at his feet and dropped a stick to the floor.

"So much like a dog," he said with a laugh. He picked up the stick and tossed it onto the plain. The creature ran after it and Chekov returned to his scanning. Maybe with him around, it wouldn't be such a lonely job after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Fido had proved more than useful during the scanning process. Chekov was inclined to re-evaluate Spock's first opinion of the alien not being smart. When he had brought the stick over, it was not because he wanted to play a game, he was helping. Chekov had scanned the stick and the creature had instantly got bored of it and fetched something else. It had amazed him at first and as a bonus speeded up the scanning process no end. In fact, he was pretty much finished. Maybe now he'd be able to spend some time relaxing with his friends. He clicked the scanner off and slung it over his shoulder before heading back to Sulu and the rest of the team.

"How's it going?" he asked looking up from the rock he was currently working on.

"We're done."

Fido yapped at his side.

"Made quite a friend there!" Sulu said.

"He was more than useful." Chekov replied patting the fuzzy creature on the head. Fido made a strange noise not unlike a cat purring and seemed to smile. Sulu looked as though he was about to say something, however, his communicator buzzed distracting him. He opened it with a flick.

"Sulu here."

"How's the scanning going?" It was the captain.

"Slowly sir, although it looks like this section is nearly complete. We'll be ready for moving in about an hour." Sulu said.

"Good. How long until nightfall?"

"We have a good four hours."

"Very well, Kirk out." Sulu flicked his communicator closed and tucked it back into his belt.

"Might as well get this last bit finished," Sulu said indicating a pile of unscanned rocks next to him. Chekov nodded and pulled his scanner back out of its holster. He picked up a rock and began the tedious work once more.

With the two of them working together, along with Fido, the work was done faster than they thought. Kirk was more than pleased with the progress and had them relocated immediately. The new section of Ceti Alpha VI was much lusher than the one they had just come from. The leaves on the tall trees were huge and thick, providing ample shade from the warm sun. The bushes seemed greener than green, the flowers bright and glimmering in the shine. The dense foliage reminded Chekov of the Amazonian jungles; a place he had found interesting from Earths history while he was at the academy. "What a beautiful place." Chekov said as he ran a finger along one of the gigantic leaves.

"And all we have to do is scan each individual species," Sulu said with a sigh.

"It's not so bad, we have a few hours left before it gets too cold." Chekov said as he made sure all the crates had arrived safely. "Fido will help!" The little creature already had a large branch sprouting various leaves in his mouth. He began scanning the branch while Sulu let out a sigh, "The sooner we get started the sooner we'll finish."

"Very well." The sound of Sulu's scanner reached Chekov and he smiled, they'd be done and back on the ship in no time!


	3. Chapter 3

This was bad. Sulu snapped his communicator shut; his face wielded a bleak expression. Chekov shuddered at the sound. He'd overheard every word that had been said but waited for Sulu to break the news properly. The grim line of his mouth spoke volumes. "Problems?" Chekov asked looking up from the small orchid he was examining.

"The transporter has malfunctioned." Sulu said.

"What? How?"

"I believe the Enterprise was fired on by an unknown assailant. They have sustained heavy damage, including the transporter system," said Sulu. The knot at the centre of his brow deepened.

"When can we go back to the ship?" Chekov asked already knowing the answer.

"They cannot give us a time."

"But in two hours…" he said voicing both of their thoughts

"I know; we're going to be sub-zero." Sulu said voicing the fact.

"Is there anything we can do?" Chekov said glancing around the clearing. They were surrounded by dense lush foliage and tall trees. The air was humid and full of moisture. "Can we start a fire?"

"I don't know about that but we could gather as many of the big leaves as we can and try to make some form of blanket. I don't think a fire would burn in this moist air, it would smoke a lot and that won't help." Sulu said. Chekov nodded and looked around.

"Can we heat rocks with our phasers?" he asked.

"Maybe, gather some up and we can always do so if we have to."

"OK." Chekov said before conducting a more thorough search of the area. There were a lot of huge leaves littering the floor, some of them looked sturdy enough so he began dragging them into the centre of the clearing. Sulu was having similar luck on his side as well. Fido yapped and snuffed at the floor, he seemed to be watching their every move, unsure what they were doing. Every moment was critical, the sun was sinking fast and with it, the temperature began to plummet. Chekov shivered despite the warming work he was carrying out.

"Do we still have the thermosuits?" he asked as he dropped several rocks onto the ground.

"I think we do yes. They should be in the crate over there!" Sulu said. He dropped the leaf he was carrying and jogged over to it. He yanked the lid off and a brief laugh escaped him. It carried no mirth. "Yes, there are two here, well remembered." He said.

"That should help us for a little while at least." Chekov said.

"Yes, let's continue gathering leaves. We can hide under them when it becomes dark," Sulu said.

"All right." Chekov said before striding off once more. Fido followed him and danced around his feet. He seemed to want to show Chekov something. Chekov followed the fuzzy alien, who led him to a huge pile of giant leaves that he'd missed, "You're turning into a real help," he said patting the creature on the head. He then hoisted the leaves up and began pulling them towards their make shift camp site. He hoped they would be enough to fend off the worst of the cold. Somehow, he doubted it.


	4. Chapter 4

The only problem when Spock, or anyone else for that matter, brought new things on board the Enterprise, was the chance it could mess with the systems, or the systems could mess with it. Worse was when both happened at once; it made isolating the problem difficult. As if the pressure wasn't enough from Kirk, Scotty also knew that two of his best friends were about to freeze to death on that bloody planet. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek and he swatted it away with the back of his hand. Keenser sat next to him, his dark eyes scanning the panel under the transporter as he did. "Well, it all looks fine but I know it isn't," he said. He scanned the panel once more and shook his head. Keenser shrugged his shoulders and kept his face bland.

Scotty shut the panel and snorted, "The malfunction must be somewhere else, there is no way this is where the problem is." Keenser just shook his head, "What do you mean you don't know you're an engineer aren't you." He climbed to his feet, "You can bring the box."

A quick walk across the busy corridor brought them both to one of the transporters main power panels. Scotty flopped down and removed the panel. The problem was there glaring him in the face. Half of the wires were missing. He isolated them before making any further moves. Once this was complete, he pulled one away and looked at the end, "Look at his!" he said showing the broken end, "It looks as though something has eaten this." Keenser nodded, his black eyes shining as he examined the end. "But what though?" he said, "I don't know of anything that could eat this."

Keenser made a keening noise, not unlike a cats purr.

"No chance, we don't have any Tribbles on board anyway! Besides, we'd have seen some by now." Keenser shrugged. "It's people bringing strange aliens on board that's what it is. I best tell the Captain this is going to be out for a while."

The response Scotty got from Kirk was the exact one he had expected; a whole lot of bluster with the reminder that Chekov and Sulu were still down on the planet with the likelihood of freezing to death growing with every second. As Scotty returned to the engine room, he was bombarded with junior engineers all clamouring for his attention. Hands and noise filled the room as he did his best to cross it. When he reached the other side, he turned and shouted, "Silence!" The noise ceased. "One at a time, please."

"Sir, there's something wrong with the resequencer on the fourth deck."

"And the processor in the rec-room isn't working either." Someone added. "The coolant system seems to be fluctuating Sir."

"Showers on deck-"

"But what about the-"

"Shuttle craft 4 is-"

"Enough!" Scotty roared, "Does anyone have a reason for it?"

"I thought some of the wires had been eaten!" A young ensign, Cooper if Scotty remembered it right, said.

"Cooper! Show me. Keenser, stay here and find out from the rest of these fine folk what is wrong with their equipment." Keenser rolled his eyes but did as he was asked. Scotty fell in beside Cooper as he led him away.


	5. Chapter 5

The sun had sunk behind the nearby mountains and the wind had picked up. The air surrounding Chekov and Sulu was still humid but the temperature was rapidly plunging. They'd created a huge nest of leaves to hide under in the hope of staving off the cold but Chekov had his doubts. He shivered as the sweat on his back began to cool, "I think we should get those thermal vests on before we get too cold." Chekov said. He ran a hand over the back of his neck, freeing the loose curls that had caught there.

"Agreed, the more heat we can trap the longer we'll survive." Sulu said with a curt nod. Both men headed to the cargo crate and pulled on the thermal jumpsuits. The one Chekov had fit perfectly snug around his form and it began to work the moment he fastened it up. The fabric fit like a second skin; the heat from his body was reflected back instead of escaping into the cold air around him. His hands were still free however and they would give a valid indication as to how cold it was outside the suit. "We should get under the pile of leaves too." Sulu said.

Chekov looked down at the heap of rotting leaves and grimaced. It wasn't the damp slimy feel that they had that bothered him, nor was it the rough texture of some of them which was akin to that of gravel. It was the smell. It was a combination of the waste food compactor and the human waste silo combined. The nauseating plant that had provided most of the heap had begun to excrete the pungent odour just as the sun had sank. Sulu has suggested that it could be a defence against predators that appeared at this time of day. All Chekov knew was that it was a rancid stench that he was keen to avoid. Fido had no such limitations; he'd spent the evening chasing around in the leaves they'd gathered and making a nuisance of himself. Chekov looked at Sulu and shrugged. "I suppose we have to get in."

"Just try and think about the hot showers back on board the Enterprise, this will help us survive long enough to see it again." Sulu said. He grimaced as he dug his way into the pile he had made for himself.

Chekov looked down and swallowed hard, there was nothing for it, he'd have to hold his breath and just get in there. He took a giant lungful of air before diving into the mound. It was the rankest thing he'd ever had to do in the line of duty before. He took shallow breaths to avoid retching as the stench penetrated the very air. If it was a defence against predators it worked. It made him hope that little bit harder that Scotty would get the transporter fixed that bit quicker. He didn't know how much of the smell he could handle.


	6. Chapter 6

A cold, weary Sulu flicked his communicator open; it was time for an update. "Sulu to Enterprise."

"Kirk here, go ahead Mr. Sulu."

"Any news Captain? The sun has now set and it's getting very cold down here." Sulu did his best to keep his teeth from chattering as he spoke but the fingers of cold had wormed their way into the pile of leaves and the ground temperature was falling at a rapid rate.

"There is a being on board the ship that has started to eat the power cables." Kirk replied, "Scotty is trying to find what it is that's causing the problem but the process is slow. We're doing our best."

"I appreciate that sir. We'll be in touch in another hour," he said. He flicked the communicator closed and turned to Chekov. "How are you doing?"

"OK," he replied, "Been warmer." Fido has snuck in the pile of leaves and curled up beside Chekov, he provided a minimal amount of warmth at least. Still, it wasn't enough to prevent the great shivers that passed through him.

"We'll give it a while longer before we heat those rocks." Sulu said. Chekov nodded, hoping that little bit harder that Scotty would find what was wrong soon.

What Cooper had shown Scotty was worrying; the wires that connected all the ship's power systems had come under attack from something and it looked as though they had been eaten by a giant hungry caterpillar. Scotty cut away some of the sections with great care and handed them to Cooper, who had become his assistant for the time being. "Take these and get them examined, I want to know what caused this damage," Scotty said.

"Yes sir." Cooper said. He scampered off as fast as he could while Scotty got to his feet. The main priority should be getting the transporter fixed. Poor Sulu and Chekov were freezing down there. Clicking a comm panel he spoke to the engine room.

"I want everyone to work on getting the transporter working. We need our people back on board before they freeze to death. We will look at eliminating the problem when we know what it is." He cut the communication and headed back to the transporter room.

He was the first to arrive; what he found there sickened him to the stomach. He flicked a communicator, "Medical to transporter room, fast!" He didn't wait for a reply, instead ran to the body of a young ensign. Covering his mouth with his hand he approached. The body had been chewed, there was blood everywhere. Scotty's stomach lurched a rollercoaster twist when the scent of death hit him. Fortunately, the door hissed open.

"Good God!" McCoy gasped, "What happened?" He pushed passed Scotty and rushed to the dead ensign's side.

"I don't know," said Scotty. "I'm willing to bet that the thing that's been eating my wires had something to do with it."

"Well, he's dead." McCoy said. "We'll get him to sick bay and see what we can find." Scotty nodded as Bones went about his work, hoping that it would be over soon.


	7. Chapter 7

Chekov held the phaser aimed at the pile of rocks until they were bright red. Heat emanated from them, providing some much needed warmth. He placed the phaser beside him and pushed his hands as close to the rocks as he could without burning them. Sulu let out a short sigh and did the same. Ice had begun to form on the vile smelling leaves which did something to kill the smell at least. There were some small mercies at least. Fido snuggled close to the rocks and made a contented purring. His thick fur was a good defense against the bitter cold yet he seemed to enjoy the hot rocks all the same.

"What do you think everyone is doing back on the _Enterprise_," Chekov asked as he rubbed his hands together.

"I don't know, working to get the transporter fixed I hope," Sulu said with a slight shrug.

"I know that, but that's Scotty, Keenser and a bunch of engineers, what about everyone else?" he said.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Sulu said. The rocks had cooled to a dim glow; Chekov picked up the phaser once more and began heating the rocks again. Fido jumped at the hum but settled quickly.

"Humour me, I'm trying to take my mind off how cold it is," Chekov said. Sulu sighed.

"I suppose Bones will be in Sick Bay grumbling about something, Jim will be on the bridge hurrying Scotty on to get us back. Spock… I don't know, maybe scanning something." Sulu said with the wave of a hand.

"I can hear him say 'Fascinating' in the way he does and maybe raise an eyebrow." Chekov said.

"Uhura will turn and look at him in that way. You know, disapproving but sort of soppy as well."

"Yes!" Chekov said with a laugh. He set the phaser aside once more and commenced warming his hands again. Sulu smiled for a brief moment, "I can see them sitting in the rec room, maybe playing chess."

"Uhura hates chess; Spock and Jim play that, sometimes Mccoy although he always loses." Sulu said.

"And gets grumpy about it." Chekov said. He coughed into his warm hands and brushed some stray water from his eye. Funny how the cold made your eyes water! "We will see them again won't we?"

Sulu didn't speak for a long moment, when he did, his voice was heavy, "I have no idea. I want to say yes but I won't lie to you. We have to do the best we can to hold on here while they work up there. I do know that they will never give up on us nor leave us behind while there is still hope. Just don't give up," he said. Chekov remained silent after that, he didn't know what else to say. He pushed his hands between his knees and curled up into a small ball. It wasn't much but it was the best he could do for the moment.


	8. Chapter 8

As he teased the last of the chewed wires out of its place, Scotty found himself wishing that he had longer arms with extra joints in it. Some of the damage was in awkward out of the way places. This was the last of the panels that powered the transporter, once this was done they would be able to recover Sulu and Chekov, if they were still alive to recover that was. They'd been in the deep freeze down there for four hours now; Scotty could only hope they were holding on. He'd placed security guards at the already repairs stations, in case whatever it was returned to do some more damage. Now it was just a matter of getting this last case fixed.

Keenser handed him a new wire and Scotty began splicing it into the gap. His hands worked as though they had a mind of their own, repairing was something they'd done all his life. Still, it didn't seem like they could move fast enough, "Come on man!" he said, more to himself than his companion. Keenser cocked his head to one side and muttered something. "I know, I know but they're our friends down there." Keenser shrugged. Scotty's hands had finished their work so he handed him another wire.

The five minutes it took to get the four wires done seemed to take an eternity to pass. Scotty let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding as he stood up. "Scott here," he said tapping his communicator, "Security to last wiring room, deck 5." Moments later, three ensigns in red shirts appeared.

"Sir?"

"Make sure nothing and I mean nothing, gets into that panel. The lives of Sulu and Chekov depend on it." Scotty said

"Sir!" The three guards spread themselves around the panel and did their best to look serious.

"Come on, let's get them back." Keenser followed him out of the room. The short walk to the transporter room felt like a thousand miles. When they arrived, all traces of blood and gore had been removed. He checked the panel before flicking the console back online. It stuttered a moment before whirring to life. Lights began to flash once more. "Thank God for that!" Scotty said. He patched a line through to Kirk, "We're back online, I can get them back."

"Do it! I'm on my way," Kirk replied.

"Here goes."

Scotty flicked a few switches and used the panel to locate his friends. The life signs were faint but they were there. It was enough. By the time he had a lock on them, Kirk burst through the door followed by medical team – he must have summoned them on his way. Scotty activated the transporter. Warm light filled the room, the scintillating patterns filled the pads; slowly and surely, the figures of two men began to appear. The light faded, two forms remained unmoving on the pads. "You got them Scotty!" Kirk said slapping him on the back.

"Aye, but was it in time?" There was no movement from either form.


	9. Chapter 9

Scotty watched as McCoy took the two men to Sick Bay. Shallow breaths moved their chests up and down but they were far from well. Kirk followed them out with a security detail. A couple of ensigns remained behind; there was still the wayward creature to deal with. "Well, that's them back on board," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Time to get a shift on with the repairs."

With that thought, he left the transporter room and headed back to engineering. He heard the noise before he even opened the door. Loud shouts followed by a dangerous crash caused Scotty to catapult through the door, "What in the name of seven hells is going on in here!"

What he saw was not what he expected. He clocked the small alien dog thing dashing and darting in amongst the half repaired equipment making the worst noise he had ever heard. It was somewhere between a dog bark and a banshee wail. Several ensigns were engaged in chasing it around the equipment, "Who let that, that thing in here?" he was ignored as the ensigns continued to stalk the thing. "And stop chasing it for goodness sake." He roared. That got their attention. The awful screaming ceased and the creature sat down amid a pile of wires. One of the ensigns shuffled and dropped a piece of cable he'd been using to bait the creature, "Now, someone mind explaining what it going on here?"

"Sir, this creature came in here, I don't know where it came from."

"It could be what killed Davis," another ensign said.

"Take a look at it lads." The creature had sat down and began scratching behind its ear. It had thick fur and was the same size as a cocker spaniel. Two tentacles stuck out from the top of its head. It looked at the three men and tilted its head to one side with a low whine. "Does that look like the sort of thing that could tear a man to pieces?"

"Well…"

"No sir."

"I believe it may have escaped from the lab. I think Spock brought a creature like this back from the planet, why not go and find out?" The two ensigns nodded and scampered off, leaving Scotty to guard the creature and maybe clear up the mess it had made of the engine room. "So what are you doing here little creature?" he said as he picked up scattered lengths of wire. The tools had been knocked over in the chase and were everywhere. The animal trotted over and dropped some of the loose wire at his feet, "Helpful little fellow ain't you." He said picking up the deposited equipment. "What do you want eh? Not to aid me in clearing up this mess surely." The creature danced around his feet with a yip before racing off to collect some more mess. "Maybe it is, I won't complain fella." Scotty said as he watched the creature continue about his task.


	10. Chapter 10

When Chekov came around, the first thing he noticed was the delightful soft blanket that covered him; he was warm, so so warm! He let out a long sigh and snuggled deeper into the warmth. The next thing he noticed was the lack of smell. A deep breath through the nose confirmed his suspicions; it was good to not be surrounded by that stench anymore. He could hear the soft bouncing of the sick bay monitor told him where he was. Opening his eyes, he looked around and saw Sulu lying in the bed next to his yet something seemed to be missing. He moved his hands around.

"Everything all right Pav?" It was Mccoy.

"Yes Doctor. When I was beamed back, was there a small fluffy creature with me?" he asked. It was Fido who was missing and he wanted to know where he'd gone. Surely he couldn't survive down on the planet in that cold.

"I only have you and Sulu here," McCoy said as he passed the scanner over his body. The whir of the device was comforting; it was so good to be back on the _Enterprise_ in the warmth.

"Damn, he was a good little critter," Chekov said.

"Who?"

"He was a little dog like creature that helped us to build our pile of leaves to hide under. He helped us scan some of the objects down on the planet too. I called him Fido," Chekov explained.

"Spock brought up a creature for analysis, do you mean that one?"

"No," Chekov said shaking his head, "I hope he stays warm down there."

"He's a native Pav, he'll be fine," McCoy said as he removed the scanner, "And you've sustained no lasting damage either, rest here for a while though, that's an order."

"Yes Doctor." Chekov let his eyes close once more, hoping that Fido was all right.

Scotty bent to pick up the last of the tools; the engine room was finally beginning to look like somewhere to work and not an accident in a bomb factory. The creature had been the best help he could have asked for; he'd grasped what Scotty was doing and copied it. They had cleared the room in half the time and the playful noises that it made was comforting and very far from the banshee wail it had uttered a few minutes ago. Now at least, he could grab a coffee and maybe some food before the next major job. The door hushed open and Scotty looked up. An out of breath ensign occupied the door-frame, "What is it man?"

"The creature Spock brought on board – it's gone!"

"What do you mean gone?"

"It's missing."

The creature began to yap, "Not now!" Scotty said waving his hand at it, "Have they found it?"

"Not yet."

The barking turned feverish; a horrible cold sensation ran through Scotty, as though he were being watched. The colour drained from the ensign's face. Slowly, Scotty turned around.


	11. Chapter 11

The creature that Scotty saw was a perverted mirror of the small animal stood in front of him. It was larger and its fur a sick mixture of brown, yellow and orange which clung to its body in huge filth covered mats. The bloodshot eyes of the animal roved the room as it snarled and snapped. Huge great fangs champed protruded from its blood stained mouth leaving no room for doubt as to what had attacked the crewmen. The ends of its paws were armed with six inch claws that looked sharper than any kitchen knife but the worst thing of all was the two tentacles protruding from the top of the creature's head. At the end of these great spikes were two tiny mouths equipped with snapping teeth.

Scotty stood frozen to the spot. He tried to force his hand to grab his phaser and blast the hideous thing from existence but no matter how hard he willed it, he could not get his hand to move. He swallowed and let his eyes drift closed, maybe if he was unable to see the damned thing it would be easier; it wasn't. The only thing he could hear was the pounding of blood in his ear and the coarse sound of his own breath. Come on you dozy Scotsman, get yourself together. He opened his eyes and forced his hand to his hip. The movement was slow, too slow. The horror was already taking decided steps towards him, faster than his hand travelled. This was it then? At least he was going to die in his own engine room. Never thought it would be in this way.

The little creature at his side leapt forward with a growl, "NO!" Scotty said but the animal ignored him. He watched, helpless, as the creature walked towards its brutal mirror. The tentacles on both animals began to glow, the vicious one purple, the kind one, green. The light began to merge, the brutal animal began to calm, the calm began to yap and snarl. The two began to combine; to join together. The green and purple light grew brighter, so bright that Scotty had to shield his eyes. It intensified until he had to turn away altogether.

When he turned back, the two animals were gone, in its place stood a larger creature although similar in appearance but with a calm demeanour. "We would speak with the one named Chekov," it said, its voice ethereal.

"Aye," Scotty muttered unable to keep the wonder from his voice. "He's in sick bay."

"Lead the way." Scotty could not disobey; his feet followed the order before his mind registered what he was doing. The alien walked along at his side.

As soon as they reached sick bay, the creature moved to Chekov's side. Chekov turned to face it with a puzzled look on his face, "Did you get bigger?" he asked patting the creature on the head.

"I had to know you were safe my friend," it said. Chekov's eyes widened and he withdrew his hand with a snap. "Do not fear, I will explain everything."


	12. Chapter 12

Chekov sat up on the bed and gaped at the creature he had thought of as no more than a dog, "You can talk!" he muttered.

"Of course I can talk."

"Why didn't you say anything before?" Chekov asked.

"When your science officer brought me on board, your transporter did something to me. I do not know what it was but it rendered me without the ability to speak. The part that was here was irrational and brutal and I apologise deeply for the damage I have caused to both your crew and your ship. The part that was capable of logical thinking was with you. I aided you in your task and then your hardship in the hope of finding the other part of myself."

Chekov shifted in the bed and thought for a moment, "Thank you, for everything, your help made sure we survived in the cold." The words fell short and didn't seem like enough but it was the best he had.

"I am restored and now able to return to my home. This could not have been possible if you had not accepted my help. It is I who should be thanking you." Scotty was joined by McCoy who stood starring at the creature.

"Is there anything more we can do for you?" Scotty asked. Chekov let out a huge yawn which he was unable to stifle.

"I wish to return home. I have a family to look after, they will be worried." He said.

"If you follow me back to the transporter room, we'll have you back in no time." Scotty said.

"Will that not mess you up again?" Chekov asked with a frown.

"No, I have adapted. A natural gift of my people is to quickly adapt to change," said the creature. Chekov nodded.

"I'll see you soon then Fido." Chekov said.

"Maybe you will." Fido said, laughing at the pet name he'd been given, "Please Mr. Scott, lead the way and I shall follow you back to your transportation device."

Chekov watched the two walked away with a smile. Fido had been a decent companion and a decent friend. Although they'd not spent that long together, Chekov found that he would miss him. He looked over at the sleeping Sulu; at least he would always have a friend there too. It was a relief to be back home in the warm.


End file.
